Lower Hutt birthing centre to close despite community efforts to save it

The closure of Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre in Lower Hutt has been described as devastating. Photo / 123RF

Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre in Lower Hutt will close on September 23, despite community efforts to save it.

The purpose-built primary birthing facility is funded through the Wright Family Foundation.

The directors of the birthing centre and founder of Mothers Matter Chloe Wright announced the closure this morning after a period of consultation.

"The Hutt Valley DHB continues to refuse to engage in a partnership to provide funding for this charitable entity, which has been funded solely by the Wright Family Foundation for the past three years," a statement said.

"We would like to acknowledge the voices of the Lower Hutt community and the staff of Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre, we support their message."

Wright told the Herald the decision was, emotionally, extremely difficult.

She said about 30 staff were affected.

"We've had to give them notice and we expect to stay open until the 23rd of September, providing that our staff will stay on.

"But it's a very difficult time for them and they have to look to their own interests and moving forward."

Wright said about $5 million has been poured into the centre over the past three years.

Two petitions were launched to save the centre with more than 6000 signatures each.

National list MP based in Hutt South Chris Bishop. Photo / Mark Mitchell

National list MP based in Hutt South Chris Bishop said the closure was terrible news.

"It's a disastrous decision for Hutt families and Hutt children and I'm incredibly angry about it. Six thousand people signed a petition that I set up to save the centre in just over a week."

Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall has previously said she understood the closure was upsetting for people, but as Te Awakairangi was a privately run business, the decision was its to make.

Bishop said the centre was private in the sense that it was non-government.

"But it's run by a charitable trust and it's been losing money incurred by the charitable trust that has run the centre for three years.

"All the Wright Family Foundation is asking, and the birthing centre is asking, is that the money that the DHB receives for maternity services can be accessed by women who choose to birth at the centre rather than have to go to the hospital. It's a legitimate choice."

Each year more than 5000 babies are born in the Wellington region and about 2000 of these births are in the Hutt Valley, according to figures provided by Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs.

Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verral. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In 2020, about 183 births took place at Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre, the DHBs said.

The chief executive for the two DHBs, Fionnagh Dougan, has acknowledged the birthing centre's contribution to providing pregnant women and their families another birthing choice for the Hutt Valley region.

But she has said funding decisions were made to ensure services met the needs of a wide and diverse population.

"The safety of women, parents and babies is the key priority for our maternity services and is at the centre of all decisions made in regards to their care.

"DHB funding decisions are driven by improving equitable outcomes for our population, with emphasis on clinical safety and creating choices to meet the needs of our population."